CHARACTER OF THE WINE. 41 



.74. Good wine, rather acid ; thought not to have been put 

 into perfectly sweet bottles. Not quite equal to No. 1, in 

 class 1st. 



CLASS 4 th. No. I. Pure wine ; vintage 1845. Not able 

 to judge in consequence of its being pricked. 



No. 2. Pure wine ; vintage 1845. A fair light wine; re- 

 sembles some of the lower grades of French ; believed care 

 was not taken in picking the grapes, and in fermentation. 



GLASS 5th. No. 1. Pure wine; vintage 1845. Spec, 

 grav. .75-J-. A very superior wine ; resembles very much the 

 white hermitage, which may be considered a very great com- 

 pliment, This wine was made with great care ; the sound 

 and perfect berries being picked from the stems, and every 

 other necessary process received equal attention. 



CLASS 6th. No. 1. Pure wine; vintage 1845. Spec, 

 grav. .75. May have been originally good ; believed to have 

 been put into an impure cask, which formerly contained for- 

 eign wine, either French or German, which very much 

 changed its flavor. 



CLASS 7th. No. 1.. Pure wine ; vintage 1845. Not able to 

 judge, being pricked, and not properly treated. Perhaps part 

 of the berries were unripe, and other necessary care not taken. 



Your committee would remark that great care and atten- 

 tion are necessary in order to produce good pure wine ; much 

 more so than any other agricultural product. The sound, 

 perfect fruit should be kept separate from that which is im- 

 perfect, and the wine never allowed to be put into anything 

 but perfectly pure sweet casks or bottles ; as a very trifling ne- 

 glect may cause a great loss on wine. Much also depends 

 upon fermentation, which requires great attention, and after 

 being completed, terminates the business of the cultivator. 



Some of the specimens for exhibition, were imitations of 

 foreign wines, which your committee very much regret, being 

 desirous to establish a character for American wine, which 

 would soon be accomplished, by giving it a fair trial upon its 



